driving to Austria - where's a good stop-over?

[irocfan]

well as it says we've booked a week away in Austria for later in the year and are going to make a road-trip of it. Currently the the plan is Dover/Dunkerque (noon crossing) and then to Maria Alm in Austria, thought about making it a semi-relaxed (certainly compared to other Euro jaunts I've done!!!) drive on the way there (in contrast to the return!) and so we've allowed 2 days travel. Anyone got any recommendations for places to visit en-route (we did Sinsheim, http://sinsheim.technik-museum.de/en/, last time we were in Germany) or indeed places not to bother with.

The return leg will be a little less relaxed (but still allowing 24 hours

[HappyMidget]

When I went to Liechtenstein I stopped in Luxembourg for the night. Nice little city.

[RammyMP]

I did Manchester to Mayrhofen non-stop last month, it was too much, we left at 11:00 am and got there at 7:00 the following morning, I wish we stopped on the Belgium/German border. On the way home we left at about 11:00 and got to Dunkirk for about 10:00 pm and stayed in a hotel the night there, that was a bit more civilised. Hotel was a dump though.

So in summary, I'd recommend somewhere around Luxembourg or Bitburg, depending on your route.

[indigostr]

We did a similar trip in the winter. We stopped overnight in Stuttgart. Missing the toll roads our route took us Calais,Lille,Mons,Namur,Luxembourg City then Stuttgart.
Plenty of towns and villages to stop off and visit on the way, some roads poorer than the A26 & A4 but no tolls and minimal time difference.

[irocfan]

ok after chats with SWMBO it's looking like we could be going:

Dover/Dunqerque 10am crossing
Metz (which looks lovely!) for overnight stay
Oberammergau (or Garmisch-Partenkirchen) for the next overnight stay)
Maria Alm


for the way back we've got the 18.00 ferry booked (on a Sunday) so thinking

Maria Alm
Koblenz (overnight)
Dunqerque


hopefully that's a nice relaxing drive there and not too bad back either

[Amateurish]

Have you considered driving to Dusseldorf then taking the sleeper train to Austria? Nice experience and the car travels with you.

[RammyMP]

Amateurish said:

Have you considered driving to Dusseldorf then taking the sleeper train to Austria? Nice experience and the car travels with you.

Good shout for Düsseldorf, nice town!

I was traveling at the weekend but the motorways were generally very quiet, got a bit busy around Brussels though.

[AAGR]

If SWMBO will allow it, consider a stop-over in Stuttgart, for the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums are both FABULOUS.

Trust me, I have been to both of them quite recently.

[Johnniem]

RammyMP said:

Amateurish said:

Have you considered driving to Dusseldorf then taking the sleeper train to Austria? Nice experience and the car travels with you.

Good shout for Düsseldorf, nice town!

I was traveling at the weekend but the motorways were generally very quiet, got a bit busy around Brussels though.

+ 1. Exactly what we did at the beginning of one of our annual Eurohoons. Excellent ploy. Jump out of the train in Innsbruck, almost at the bottom of the ski jump! Brenner Pass, into Italy for around 4.30 pm and up, then down, the Stelvio Pass. Awesome day! Do what we did but I guess you'll just have to miss out on the Pass action! And don't forget that the motorway up to Dusseldorf has sections that are unrestricted. Jus' sayin' fella!

[irocfan]

think I've found a place to stay (childish as I am) - Hotel Fux

[hoegaardenruls]

Johnniem said:

RammyMP said:

Amateurish said:

Have you considered driving to Dusseldorf then taking the sleeper train to Austria? Nice experience and the car travels with you.

Good shout for Düsseldorf, nice town!

I was traveling at the weekend but the motorways were generally very quiet, got a bit busy around Brussels though.

+ 1. Exactly what we did at the beginning of one of our annual Eurohoons. Excellent ploy. Jump out of the train in Innsbruck, almost at the bottom of the ski jump! Brenner Pass, into Italy for around 4.30 pm and up, then down, the Stelvio Pass. Awesome day! Do what we did but I guess you'll just have to miss out on the Pass action! And don't forget that the motorway up to Dusseldorf has sections that are unrestricted. Jus' sayin' fella!

Considering doing this for the summer Eurotrip now - had done Calais to Luxembourg last summer, but now thinking of Dusseldorf to Vienna and on from there based on this..

I take it any ramps on the trains arent going to ground the nose of something low when loading/unloading?

[Johnniem]

hoegaardenruls said:

Johnniem said:

RammyMP said:

Amateurish said:

Have you considered driving to Dusseldorf then taking the sleeper train to Austria? Nice experience and the car travels with you.

Good shout for Düsseldorf, nice town!

I was traveling at the weekend but the motorways were generally very quiet, got a bit busy around Brussels though.

+ 1. Exactly what we did at the beginning of one of our annual Eurohoons. Excellent ploy. Jump out of the train in Innsbruck, almost at the bottom of the ski jump! Brenner Pass, into Italy for around 4.30 pm and up, then down, the Stelvio Pass. Awesome day! Do what we did but I guess you'll just have to miss out on the Pass action! And don't forget that the motorway up to Dusseldorf has sections that are unrestricted. Jus' sayin' fella!

Considering doing this for the summer Eurotrip now - had done Calais to Luxembourg last summer, but now thinking of Dusseldorf to Vienna and on from there based on this..

I take it any ramps on the trains arent going to ground the nose of something low when loading/unloading?

Absolutely no worries with that, unless its Lambo low possibly? Can't say I thought about whether something like a Lambo could get on! Its a reasonable journey through lovely places (that you obv only see in the morning!)

[hoegaardenruls]

Johnniem said:

Absolutely no worries with that, unless its Lambo low possibly? Can't say I thought about whether something like a Lambo could get on! Its a reasonable journey through lovely places (that you obv only see in the morning!)

Thanks, it's a 911 Turbo so not quite Lambo low, so might be OK - the price seems pretty reasonable considering it cuts out at least one additional overnight stop and a few tanks of fuel..

[5potTurbo]

irocfan said:

ok after chats with SWMBO it's looking like we could be going:

Dover/Dunqerque 10am crossing
Metz (which looks lovely!) for overnight stay
Oberammergau (or Garmisch-Partenkirchen) for the next overnight stay)
Maria Alm


for the way back we've got the 18.00 ferry booked (on a Sunday) so thinking

Maria Alm
Koblenz (overnight)
Dunqerque


hopefully that's a nice relaxing drive there and not too bad back either

Dunkerque - Lille - cross into Belgium - Mons - Charleroi - Namur - cross into Lux - then France - Thionville - Metz: that's doable in +/-5 hours driving

Metz Cathedral Square is pleasant, 1 of my staff lives right on the square, but the surrounding areas (when you cross the border from Lux towards Thionville) are NOT. It's an industriual heartland and looks grim on the autoroute. (I live in Lux and cross the border often)

Koblenz for your return? It's not a pretty city as 1 night of allied bombing in WW2 saw to most of the city. There's a LOT of concrete around, IIRC. (Last visited 1998)

Edited by 5potTurbo on Tuesday 24th May 12:45

[Johnniem]

hoegaardenruls said:

Johnniem said:

Absolutely no worries with that, unless its Lambo low possibly? Can't say I thought about whether something like a Lambo could get on! Its a reasonable journey through lovely places (that you obv only see in the morning!)

Thanks, it's a 911 Turbo so not quite Lambo low, so might be OK - the price seems pretty reasonable considering it cuts out at least one additional overnight stop and a few tanks of fuel..

The Pork will be fine on the train. One has to decide whether to lock and activate the alarm or whether to leave it unlocked so that the alarm isn't activated and goes off all night. I did the journey (with 9 other vehicles of various marques) and we all locked our door and had no troubles. I did consider leaving my doors unlocked as no johnny foreigner, or most brits, have no idea how to open the door on the Chim! It's a good way to travel and, as you say, quite affordable against a second stopover plus petrol. Do it! BTW, in parts of Austria and Italy around the borders, we managed to stop at quite a few petrol stations that sold 100+ Octane fuel. Many think it makes no difference to performance but there appeared to be an army of ninja under my bonnet in the Chim after those top ups!

This years hoon? S of F, along the corniche, Nice overnight, Route Napolean, into Italy, fire up the Octane levels and run back to Blighty via Germany. And this year I shall also be in a Porker. Cayman S for me with PDK and sports steering wheel. My last trip was in a manual Cayman S and I am still getting used to being in an auto. It's getting better every day though and I fully expect the 'keep' badge to be installed once I try her out in the Alps.

Enjoy the trip fella. JM

[Johnniem]

irocfan said:

think I've found a place to stay (childish as I am) - Hotel Fux

We stayed in the Post Hotel in 'Vank' (it's pronounced like that but spelled in the traditional self-abuse way!) on the Austrian border some years ago. Perhaps this hotel is also in Vank?! Now that would be great sit-com fodder.

[krallicious]

A stop over somewhere in the Mosel region or Rheinhessen/Rheingau near Mainz. Lots of lovely old towns and good wine.

[PH XKR]

We tend to stop for a night on one of the services on the German Austria border, on the main route if you go via lux. Its at the top of a mountain about 20 clicks from the border. As far as services go its stunning.

[j4ckos mate]

Try and go into ST johann if you can, its got a nice toboggan run and a brewery

to be fair the whole place is lovely

[crmcatee]

Having just driven into and out of Austria yesterday (via Lichenstein and Switzerland) and currently sitting in Schwangau (Southern Germany) I'd recommend stopping of somewhere like Heidelberg - not that far from Sinseim but very pleasant to mooch about in.

Austria has 100 ron fuel which surprised me but that's what I've filled the Sagaris with rather than 98.